Private Traditional Portuguese Cooking Class In Lisbon With Paula

It was a really fun experience cooking with Paula and sharing the meal together in her apartment. She taught us some rally useful tricks while cooking an amazing meal.

We enjoyed our time with Paula! Learned some new cooking skills and she even gave us the recipes afterwards.

We chose Paula’s Authentic Cooking Class hoping for an engaging and enjoyable cultural experience. While we appreciated meeting Paula and learning about local culture, several issues significantly affected our overall experience. The day began with a pickup at the ferry, followed by a stop at a grocery store so Paula could purchase the ingredients she had said she had been unable to obtain earlier. During this time, we felt somewhat pressured to try items (such as squid and mussels) we had already indicated we did not prefer, which led us to purchase a pepperoni pizza from the frozen section for a teenager in our group. Our primary concern was the cleanliness and hygiene of the kitchen. Raw seafood was prepared on a cutting surface that was then used for vegetables without proper sanitation. There was no soap available for washing hands or surfaces, and only a single shared hand towel was provided. Additionally, the kitchen surfaces, including counters and cabinets, appeared visibly unclean. There were also a few logistical and comfort concerns. The restroom contained a litter box, and another individual residing in the apartment moved in and out during our visit, which we had not expected. At one point, Paula also took a phone call during the class. The kitchen itself was very small, extremely warm, and did not comfortably accommodate our group of four. That meant that three of us either crowded around the cook and took turns or sat in chairs which we had dragged into the kitchen. At one point, Paula asked our teenager to climb a chair to get a large pot from the top of a cabinet. Finally, the experience lasted significantly longer than advertised. The class was scheduled for approximately three hours but ran for five and a half hours, taking up nearly our entire day. Overall, while there were some positive elements, the lack of cleanliness, organization, and adherence to the stated schedule made this a disappointing experience for our group.

Absolutely amazing time with Paula. The class was excellent. Learned so much and had a delicious meal. Paula is in no rush so it is a very relaxed time. We also learned so much about Portugal through our many questions. This was a great experience

Paula is a most gracious and knowledgeable teacher! I’ve taken many cooking classes and she taught me several tricks I’d never learned before. She caters to what your preferences are regarding protein selection, spices and flavor profiles. I personally enjoyed the 1:1 lesson but could easily recommend having another person . Paula made sure I performed many of the tasks and used the techniques she taught giving me a real sense of competence . She also allowed flexibility within the recipes giving variations I could use at home. The ingredients were all very fresh and obtainable back in the USA. One of the best parts was it was fun! I mean she keeps the joy within the class. She truly loves food and cooking which shows in her teaching. I’m most anxious to make these for friends when I return home. If ever in Lisbon again I’d for sure take another lesson from Paula🩷

Paula is a lovely considerate creative and affable lady. She communicated well ensuring we’d find each other after taking the ferry to Almada which was a bonus to my trip to Lisbon! She asked ahead of time the types of dishes I would be interested in helping to make. She not only taught me some traditional Portuguese recipes but along the way helped me improve my cooking skills! Afterwards we had a leisurely lunch of the dishes we worked on together discussing many topics with some tasty local regional wine.

Paula is a very warm and friendly person. Her English is very good and she is a patient teacher. We learned some vaulable food preparation skills. We made a clam appetizer, a meringue and custard dessert, and a pork main dish. All of the food was delicious. Paul was very accommodating and contacted us ahead of time about the menu and our food preferences. Paula's apartment is small but clean and neat. There were only two of us in my party so we did not have any trouble getting around the kitchen. We were very happy with our cooking lesson, the food and her hospitality. We recommend supporting this local business.

Took ferry over to Cacilhas from Lisbon. Lovely neighboorhood. Was escorted to Paula's apartment, cooked a mix of Goan and Portuguese dishes, learned some new techniques and shared stories and good company. Delicious!

Paulinha’s cooking class was truly one of my highlights of my trip to Lisbon. Getting hands on cooking experience with a true Portuguese local provided cultural insights I would never have learned otherwise. She is an absolute delight and her welcoming personality provides a comfortable learning environment. You will learn cooking skills you will use for the rest of your lifetime in this class and be able to make essential Portuguese dishes.

Great experience with Paula. Food was fantastic and authentic! We would encourage anyone to spend some time with her.

Paula was an amazing host! My daughter and I had a great time and cooked an great meal!!! I would definitely recommend this class for everyone!!!

My daughter was looking for a cooking class that was all about Natas! For the same price, we got to spend few hours with Paula! It was a heartwarming experience! We went to the market, we cooked a full meal and NATAS at her house which made this experience absolutely unforgettable! We had fresh homemade lemonade! Paula took the time to write to us prior to our meeting to ask us what we would prefer to cook. She gave us so many fun facts and cooking tips! At the end the table was filled with good food, good wine and a new friendship! Paula is a sweetheart. She took the time to bring my daughter shopping afterwards to buy the special natas plates! Thank you so much Paula for welcoming us into your home. This was wonderful experience that we aren’t going to forget! On top of that Paula is located not far from the bridge and the statue! She ordered a Tuk tuk for us right after our meal! For food lovers : Paula is the answer!

We were so pleased to have Paula to ourselves. She is serious about teaching you the nuances of the Portuguese cooking process. Opening her home & experience with us a wonderful experience. The ONLY complaint we have is the walk back to the ferry took too long, because she knows everyone in the village and had to give each a greeting!!! 🥰

Cooking and dining with Paula is like catching up with an old friend (who is a much better chef than you). It's casual, there's a lot of laughs, some wide ranging conversations, and hey, you learn a little as well. 🤓 Loved the modified pastel de nata récipe (less sugar in the custard, tastes twice as good ironically). The pastels de bacalao, pork and potato, and tempura beans were also stars. ✨ If you're lucky, you might pop across the road for a drink as well 🍷 Also Mozart is a very cute cat who deserves lots of pats. 🐈‍⬛

We had a great time cooking with Paula, our group of 6 including young children (aged 7 and 8), their parents and grandparents. Paula was warm, accommodating and full of great stories and recipies. Highly reccomended!

We really enjoyed the experience of cooking a Portuguese meal in Paulas's home. She told us stories relating to her life and culture and gave us cooking tips. She proivded the recipes following our experience and told me where to find the tins to make pastel de nata. It was a fantastic way to spend a part of our day. As an added bonus you ride the ferry across the river and see another charming piece of Portugal. We find that cooking with a local is an amazing way to appreciate another country's culture.

Paula was a lovely and pleasant host. We cooked a fish stew, green bean tempura and desert. When everything was done, we had a nice dinner.

Such a wonderful time! I am so grateful to Paula for opening up her home to me. We made a Goan chicken curry and clam curry and pastel de nata. She shared cooking tips and stories. It was a lovely evening and I would absolutely recommend it, even if you’re solo!

Sadly, this cooking class did not meet our expectations. We knew it would be different in someone's home vs. a commercial kitchen (something we were looking forward to). Unfortunately, it was unsanitary, including a litter box a few feet away that was used during our class. The cooking for the main dish was basic, mostly involving chopping, making a rue and tossing in frozen ingredients. We did not make a starter dish. The recipe for the Pasteis de Nata had been altered to be less sweet and non-traditional. We had hoped for more authentic portugese cooking. Despite the positive reviews online we left feeling disappointed.

Wonderful experience and fantastic meal. Would highly recommend to foodies. Chef is fluent in English.

Paula was an amazing host! She was so warm and welcoming, offered a personalized menu, and an intimate experience! The food was delicious and Paula offered so many great cooking tips. Her expertise was appreciated.

It was a very nice evening with nice conversations, Good food and helpful explanations, especially when it comes to the "Pastel de Nata", we would like to do it again.

Paula tailored the cooking class to our needs — avoiding foods we don’t eat. She was appropriately communicative from the time we did our booking. She engaged our kids well and imparted wonderful cooking tips throughout the lesson. We feel well equipped to host a pescatarian Portuguese dinner. Thank you Paula.

We took Paula‘s cooking class on our trip to Portugal and had a fantastic time. Paula is so enjoyable to be with and really provides great instruction. The pastel de nata came out amazing as did all the other delicious dishes we made. Warm and inviting atmosphere and great one on one hands-on cooking. Thank you so much, Paula, we had a great time!

Had such a great time going to the market and learning to cook traditional Portugese dishes with Paula! Paula was a wonderful host - I definitely recommend this activity 😊

My husband and I took a cooking class with Paula on the second day of our two-week trip to Portugal, and we're thrilled we got to experience the introduction to Portuguese and Goan cuisine. The food was phenomenal, and the company was even better. Paula is a skilled chef and an incredible host; spending time getting to know her was delightful. She perfectly represented the kind and fun Portuguese culture we experienced throughout our tour. We highly recommend booking this for anyone who loves food, authenticity, and genuine human connection while traveling.

Paula was delightful, knowledgeable and had everyone participate in making our dinner. It felt that we were having dinner with a friend

Cooking with Paulin was more than a great lesson in Portuguese cooking,it was a taste of real Portuguese life today and a colorful history of how what we cooked came to be. This lady knows her stuff and puts heart into teaching. She makes you really feel the joy of cooking Portuguese as you learn it step by step. This is a five-star experience for a bargain!

My husband and I had a wonderful time with Paula. She picked us up next to the ferry and we had a nice walk around the historic part of Almada, with her telling us stories of the area and her life. We then visited the local markets, and got to speak with some of the vendors. Paula made us feel right at home in her apartment, where we cooked and shared a delicious meal. I strongly recommend the experience, we will remember this for a very long time!

This was even more/better than we hoped! Our host, Paula was fun, sweet, gracious, and really knew her stuff. We were given a choice of dishes and we prepped/cooked and ate them all. It was the loveliest of events on our trip, and memories we will remember and chare forever - thanks Paula!!

Paula is super friendly. She is very welcoming. Her cooking class was enjoyable and we learned many many cooking tips that were new to us even though we are experienced cooks 😊. She also ave us lots of fun information about Lisbon in general. I highly recommend her class as an experience in Lisbon 💕

My husband and I had such a fun evening cooking with Paula. She made us feel immediately welcome in her home and totally engaged us in preparing the food. Once prepared, we sat down around her dining room table and really enjoyed our efforts with a bottle of wine while sharing stories of our past and learning more about Portugal. We highly recommend this experience when you are in Lisbon.

We missed the ferry and we were 10 minutes late. No problem, she said. That comment set the stage for an incredible evening. It was a casual evening, she showed us simple meal preparation like how to cut an onion without crying, how to mix, how to fill pastries. It was all good and we had fun doing it. She really knows how to move around in the kitchen. I would do this class again, if for no other reason, just to spend another evening with Paula, such a wonderful hostess. Such a wonderful person. I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced it.

Thank you, Paula, for a memorable evening! We had a wonderful time getting to know you and learning more about your Goan and Portuguese cultures. Thank you for the tips and ideas for cooking and baking. The meal was incredible and the company was so fun! It’s such a unique opportunity that you offer and absolutely a great time! Thank you again!

Had such a nice time with Paulinha. Got a lot of hands on with the dishes and got to make Pastel de Nata. It was very nice to learn and have the recipes for the future. We had a lovely time chatting, eating, and drinking wine. She even told me a few times to contact her if I was having trouble recreating the dishes. It was a really great experience to learn these dishes and a few techniques to make my time in the kitchen easier.

Our evening with Paula is one we’ll be reminiscing for years to come. She was the most welcoming host, excellent instructor, and an immediate friend. We cannot wait to show off the recipes to family and friends! I’d highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great evening and introduction to Portuguese culture.

Paula was so much fun and amazing! Not only did we learn a lot about cooking Portuguese and Goan food but she made the process so fun and informative. It was so easy to get the ferry over from Lisbon and the trip was so worth it! Thank you Paula we had such a great time!

The hostess was fabulous full of practical cooking tips and patient instructions on how to cook our meal of clams, fish in curry sauce, salad and patel de nata - all delicious for a nice noon meal. The bonus was to meet a very nice hostess to learn about her life and living in Portugal.

Paula was a wonderful host and the class was fun, informative and hands on. Thank you for the time and effort that was put in to make our experience top notch! Thank you

Paula's class was great! I learned a lot about the history of Goan food and after having made the pastel de nata from scratch, I don't think I'll be going back to the store for them! 10/10 would recommend!

Paula provided excellent communication before during and after our dinner experience so the menu was customized just for us! She greeted us promptly at 5PM at the agreed location, with great enthusiasm even though she had just completed a lunch class …escorting them back to the ferry as she had done with us. Paula provided a casual easy going experience, slowly and carefully demonstrating some fun and interesting techniques throughout the evening …correcting us if we went astray. By 9:30 our meal was complete…so worth the wait as it was delicious, paired with a chilled Alentejo white…and Ginja with our dessert. This was made even more delightful by our conversation with Paula who was quite charming and shared interesting stories and experiences. It felt like you were at a friend’s home throughout. 😄

A brilliant experience. My partner and I spent an evening cooking and eating with Paula. We learnt so much about the cuisine and about Paula. The food was delicious and the evening was a very enjoyable. We recommend this to anyone who wants a truly authentic experience.

This experience was everything I had hoped it would be. Paula treated me like an old friend. The food was delicious and the experience was special. I felt so comfortable in her home and learned several cooking techniques. Thank you Paula, for a uniquely Portuguese experience and a day I will never forget. Jamie O.

Looking for an authentic experience while visiting Lisbon? Then this cooking class is a must-do! We had an amazing time learning from Paula. Paula was extremely welcoming, kind, and attentive. She shared interesting stories and was knowledgeable on the history of the dishes. Her food was delicious, her Pastel de Natas were the absolute best, and her personality was the icing on the cake. This was an unforgettable experience during my trip. I highly recommend taking this cooking class with Paula!

Our class with Paulinha was absolutely marvelous. If you do nothing else when you’re in Lisbon, do this. The food was excellent, and Paulinha is the most beautiful soul. Cannot wait to come back and cook with her more

It was absolutely amazing. The food was great of course but the best part is that the host, Paulinha, made us feel at home. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who may be interested.

What a beautiful day with a lovely hostess! She was knowledgeable and so fun! We enjoyed her company as much as the cooking! Awesome class! Don’t miss this opportunity for a beautiful day! We LOVE Paula! ❤️

Paula’s cooking class was great. We like to cook and learned new tips and specific Portuguese recipes. Truly enjoyed meeting her, preparing and eating a meal in her home. It was a nice ending to a fabulous week in Portugal. It’s more than a cooking class…you will discover her way of life too.

Paulinha was absolutely amazing the the food was delicious! I enjoyed hearing her stories about her family and learning more about Portugal. Best Pastel de Nata in the city!